Tabacos Baez

[OHRD]

Size: 5.5×52, Favoritos (Belicoso)

Wrapper: Connecticut

Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan

Strength: Medium

Price: Box of 20, $144.95

Grade: 8.9

The Tabacos Baez is from Don Pepin Garcia and offers a different side to the master roller. Offering a Connecticut shade wrapper with Nicaraguan filler, the Tabacos Baez presents a medium-bodied smoke with less spice than your typical Pepin blend. Put together in his El Rey de los Habanos factory, this stick is also available in short filler; the short filler is a bit more robust in strength and is a fraction of the cost, at around $2.70/stick compared to $7.25/stick.

Lately it seems I’ve been coming across some great Nicaraguan cigars and this stick is no exception. So, let’s toast the foot, shall we?

Pre-light, 1.8:
The Tabacos Baez is clean from head to toe, with a triple cap and perfectly rounded foot. The dark brown wrapper has the slightest bit of red tint to it and is overall very rustic and leathery in appearance. There are spots of discoloration but the veins and minimal and it is firm throughout with no soft spots. The pre-light aroma is of sweet cedar with a spicy zest at the foot. The undertone is very earthy. The cap cut well and the draw has some resistance but nothing bad. The cold taste presents a bit of spice that reminds me of nutmeg.

Burn, 1.8:
The burn was solid throughout with a nice draw, an even toast, and a sharp edged pull from start to finish. The ash is a very pleasant white-gray and it holds tightly while forming a solid sheet. The smoke released is nice and thick and has a very sweet aroma to it. Toward the second third the heat caused a tear in the wrapper but it had no effect on the enjoyment of this smoke.

Flavor, 2.7:
Maybe I’m out there on this one, but the flavor reminded me a lot of J.C. Newman’s Brickhouse; very earthy with a little bit of spice and cream. The first third was predominantly earth with shots of spice here and there. The second third moved into a very creamy smoke with continued earth and a medium roast. The final third didn’t produce a major transition, but returned to the earth and spice up front. Overall, there was some nice complexity to this stick with interesting shots of sweet and spice. This stick was pretty hearty to be a medium-bodied smoke and coated the palette well.

Overall, 2.6:
At around $7.25 a stick when purchased by the box, this is not a cigar I’d go to frequently. It is however a pleasant smoke with a solid burn, an interesting flavor profile, and a well constructed cigar. I’d like to try the short filler version of this smoke and if it’s anywhere near the same as this stick, it would be box worthy at only $2.70 a stick—but the regular version, not so much in my opinion.

(Total: 8.9)